Quentin headed to the hospital first thing the following morning. Xyla had been very upset the day before, and he needed to check on her to feel at ease.Meanwhile, Noelle invited Lorraine to go shopping at Starview Plaza. The way she was going all out scared Lorraine. "Have you lost your mind, Noelle?" she exclaimed in disbelief. Noelle arched her brow. "What, am I supposed to let those other women spend his money instead?"Lorraine lowered her gaze and chuckled, though she wasn't sure if she was laughing at herself or others. Then, as if nothing had happened, she started picking out clothes for Noelle. "Alright, I'm glad you can look at it that way!""Tsk, she doesn't work a day in her life, yet she spends her husband's money like she's entitled to it!"Quinn and her best friend, Melissa Reed, were standing in front of a rack of clothes nearby. Melissa was the one who said that. She had heard Quinn gossip about Quentin's wife. Quinn went on about how the woman was flat broke, u
Suppressing his anger, Quentin's towering figure loomed over Noelle. "Elle, apologize!" Noelle arched her brow and asked coldly, "What am I supposed to apologize for? Do you think Ms. Walsh would've joined Stille Industries if she didn't have a thing for you? Or is there something you're hiding from me?"She looked at him with those striking, defiant eyes. Quentin was baffled by how unreasonable Noelle had become. He took a moment to compose himself before he said gently, "Quinn and I are innocent. There's nothing going on between us."He then turned to Quinn and apologized sincerely, "I'm sorry. It's my fault for not keeping my wife in check. I'll apologize to you on her behalf."Quinn was dumbfounded, as she couldn't believe that he was actually apologizing to her on Noelle's behalf. Was he out of his mind? It wasn't even his fault!"There's no need to apologize, Mr. Lowe. I'm sure Mrs. Lowe didn't do it on purpose." Quinn plastered a smile on her face and lied through her teet
Lorraine scoffed and turned her head away, not wanting to look at him.Mark froze for a moment, but he quickly smoothed it over with a smile. "There's an old saying that goes, 'The wise are those who know when to yield.' Just think about it—you had a perfectly good life; why did you have to go against me?"Looking at her beautiful face, he couldn't resist the urge to trace her delicate features. The woman's skin was silky and glowing, a far cry from most women in their 50s. Relishing the sensation, he said, "All you need to do is be a good girl and admit you were wrong, and I'll keep treating you right. Does that sound good?"Lorraine's lips curled into a sneer as she turned around and sauntered over to the couch. Plopping down, she crossed one long leg over the other. Mark's gaze lingered on the creamy white skin that peeked out from beneath her black skirt."Doesn't it bother you, Mr. Lowe? I've been with so many men; you might catch something!"Lorraine pulled a cigarette fro
Noelle couldn't help but tug at the corner of her lips when she realized he thought she was acting out of character because she had bottled up all her negative emotions. But she pretended to be asleep and ignored him.The next morning, Quentin went to work, and Noelle gave Lorraine a ring to meet up for lunch. Lorraine asked, "Alright, fess up. What's up with you?" Lorraine was certain that something was up after witnessing her strange behavior the day before.Noelle's gaze flickered for a brief moment. "What are you on about? Nothing's up!" Soon, it was noon, and the ladies met at the new fine dining restaurant in Dragfort. The restaurant boasted lush, garden-inspired decor with intricately designed floral patterns and elegant chandeliers. After lunch, the two of them stood in the hallway and chatted."Quentin didn't blame you for driving Xyla to the brink of death?" Lorraine asked, skepticism written all over her face. Noelle arched her brow. "Blame me? He has no right to! H
Noelle was caught off guard by Quentin's overly pleasant attitude. She couldn't help but wonder if he had some hidden agenda.Quentin drove Noelle back to her apartment in his Lamborghini. "The car is yours to keep. Since you've driven it, I doubt any woman I end up with will want it." With that, he tossed her the keys and vanished into the night.His words made her heart sink. Noelle couldn't believe he was already thinking about finding someone new when their divorce hadn't even been finalized yet. She lugged her suitcase upstairs, organized her belongings, and read for a while before turning in for the night. The next morning, she arrived at the courthouse right on the dot. Quentin was already there, standing at the entrance. Dressed in a black overcoat, matching scarf, and sunglasses, he looked distinguished and cultured. "He's such a sanctimonious man," she brooded. When she walked over, he glanced at his wristwatch and said, "It's getting late. Let's get this done quickly;
Monica returned home and found Madison playing the piano in the living room. Without a moment's hesitation, she stormed up to her and slapped her hard. "Stop playing that damned piano! It's literally the only thing you do every day! You can't even hold on to your own husband; what do you expect me to do with you?"The melodious piano notes were cut short. In the blink of an eye, a vivid handprint appeared on Madison's pale cheek, and her fingers, which had been flitting effortlessly over the keys, froze. Monica was livid. "Listen up! I don't care what you have to do, but you'd better get pregnant this month! Because if you don't, I'll have your parents come get you! We have no room for a barren woman in this house!"Madison could feel her temples throb, but she bit her lip and remained silent. Monica was well aware that she wouldn't get a word out of her, even if she beat her to a pulp, so she stormed off. As soon as he walked in, Chance was met with this scene, and he frowned, w
Emmie and Noelle rarely had the chance to spend time together, so their two hours together felt like a fleeting treasure to the former. However, the latter's heart was heavy with anxiety. The thought of her mother going back to Collinview was like a dark cloud hovering over Noelle. After all, Lia was more cunning than Xyla, and Michael doted on her so much. Noelle was afraid that her mother would be hurt.Two hours later, as the two of them were leaving the private dining room, they ran into someone. The man noticed Emmie and called out, "Em!" It was Elijah. Emmie was caught off guard for a moment. Elijah walked over and looked at Noelle curiously. Then, realization dawned on him. "Is this your daughter?"Emmie nodded. "Yeah. Elle, this is Mr. Callahan.""Nice to meet you, Mr. Callahan," Noelle said.Looking at Noelle, Elijah recalled their chance meeting at the restaurant. So, she really was her daughter. He smiled, a note of wistfulness in his deep-set eyes. "You've grown so
Quentin's familiar scent enveloped Noelle, causing her cheeks to heat up. Flustered, she looked up and glared at him. "Are you out of your mind? I wasn't staring at you down there!"Quentin frowned. "I was talking about my legs. What on earth were you thinking?" Noelle was mortified. However, he had continued on with his clients toward the private dining room. "Noelle!" Just then, Yvette arrived. Dressed in a pink coat, she looked like a doll. The ladies then walked over to the booth together. As soon as she sat down, Yvette started gossiping, "Oh, you won't believe what I heard about Professor Callahan, Noelle! Apparently, he was sent to the Great Northwest because he crossed a big shot!"But I also heard that it was because that bigwig stole his childhood sweetheart. He was worried that she might still have feelings for Professor Callahan, so he straight-up forced him to leave Collinview University!"Noelle frowned. "Childhood sweetheart?"Yvette's lashes fluttered. "Mhm. I h
"Sorry, but if I ever get married, it definitely won't be to either of you."Noelle had originally come to visit Christian, but now she didn't feel like staying anymore. She was beyond frustrated.Christian's sharp, dangerous eyes narrowed in an instant, brimming with hostility as he locked his gaze on Noelle. Quentin's handsome face darkened as well, his mood turning stormy.Noelle spun around and walked out."We'll see about that," Quentin muttered, getting up to leave as well.As he passed by the clinic where Noelle worked, he cast a glance in that direction before heading out.Near the end of the workday, Russ called. "Ms. Xanthos, Mr. Xanthos has arranged for you to meet a boxing champion. Are you free now? I can take you to meet him."Noelle couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and bitterness. She had lived 24 years, and only now did he care about whether she had any self-defense skills. Isn't it a little late for that?Still, she went.After one session, she was dr
Noelle quietly closed the door behind her. Leonard glanced over, saw it was her, and put away his phone. "He just fell asleep. Ms. Xanthos, you should head home and rest. I'll keep watch tonight," he said softly.Noelle shook her head. "He took the knife for me. How could I go home? I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. I'd rather stay here and keep an eye on him."She sat down on the couch, her gaze heavy with concern as she looked at Christian sleeping.Leonard nodded. "Alright, you stay here. I'll step out for a bit," he said before leaving the room.Noelle nodded.Christian's phone, sitting on the nightstand, pinged with a WhatsApp notification.Noelle walked over, picked up the phone, and saw a message from someone with the nickname "The Blomming Fifties.""What a flashy name," she thought with a faint smirk.But for some reason, curiosity tugged at her—she suddenly felt a strong urge to peek into Christian's private world as if she might uncover something hidden beneath t
Noelle remained silent.In Dragfort, ever since Quentin had learned early that morning about Christian taking a knife for Noelle, he had locked himself in his office. It had been three hours now.The morning executive meeting was canceled, and his client appointments were rescheduled. Senior staff members who needed his signature on documents stood hesitating at the door, feeling the oppressive atmosphere even from outside the office.Department heads waiting to give their reports also lingered at the door, too intimidated to enter.In the end, they all turned their pleading eyes toward Martin.But even Martin was hesitant to go in.After all, he had witnessed the weight of Quentin's emotions—shock, frustration, and a deep sense of defeat—that had cast a heavy, oppressive mood over the office.Martin made a call to Dennis, knowing only he could possibly get through to Quentin now."Mr. Jackman, you need to come over," Martin said quietly, making sure to step into a quieter co
Even though Christian was in obvious pain, he forced himself not to make a sound.Such a stubborn fool.The door knocked twice, and Leonard walked in. Seeing Noelle, he greeted her, "Ms. Xanthos."Noelle's eyes were red, but she didn't respond.Christian opened his eyes slightly and said, "Don't tell anyone I'm injured."Leonard nodded."Tell them I'm on a business trip," Christian added.Leonard raised an eyebrow, "Bro, with a wound like that, how long do you think this 'trip' will last before people catch on?"Christian shot him a cold glare, and Leonard quickly relented, "Okay, okay, I get it. I'll handle it."Christian closed his eyes again, waves of pain crashing over him like a relentless tide.Suddenly, he opened his eyes once more. "Silly girl."Noelle paused, her tear-filled eyes looking at him.A smile tugged at the corner of Christian's mouth. "Get out for a bit. You look terrible."Noelle's lips twitched as her damp lashes fluttered, and a surge of unexplainabl
Just as the man raised the knife for a second strike, the security team arrived and swiftly pinned him down.Noelle heard a low grunt behind her, followed by Christian's pained chuckle. "Good thing it wasn't him."Noelle's heart clenched as she turned to see Christian, clutching his shoulder, slumped against her legs.He was wearing a beige coat, now stained with a large patch of blood around his shoulder.Christian was rushed to emergency surgery, but Noelle remained frozen in her chair, her mind replaying his words, "Good thing it wasn't him."Who wasn't it? Quentin?Why did he say that? Why did he act this way?The image of Christian's blood-soaked coat lingered in her mind. The wound—how deep was it?Noelle sat there, numb and lost in thought for an unknown period, until Michael appeared.He glanced at her through the doorway, but without a word, he continued walking past.A little while later, Kara gently patted her shoulder. "They've moved him to a room. You should go s
Emmie smiled and placed a few more ravioli on Noelle's plate. "Then eat a little more. It's your mom's first time cooking, and once you're in the Utopia States, you won't have this."It wasn't like she had never cooked before—she had made instant noodles when she was alone.Noelle ate a small bowl of ravioli without pausing, her stomach now full and round. Her eyes welled up with tears, though whether it was from happiness or something else, no one could tell.After dinner, Noelle stayed for a bit before leaving.Emmie watched Noelle's car disappear down the driveway before finally going upstairs.Michael, leaning back on the bed, heard her soft footsteps approaching and lifted his eyelids.The bedroom was dark, and when Emmie stepped in, her gaze met Michael's dark, piercing eyes. She paused at the doorway, and he continued watching her."Lia must be blind. She couldn't tell if it was you or the driver," Emmie said coldly, walking straight to the other side of the bed and pulli
Emmie was at a loss for words.Michael said, "Your daughter's leaving for the Utopia States soon. You should take this time to spend with her."Emmie's breath hitched. "Elle agreed?"Michael nodded. "Yes."It was the best way for Noelle to get away from those two men and focus on her own growth.After a night's rest, Noelle felt much better the next morning. Emmie called her, inviting her to Gentle Glades after work.What Noelle didn't expect was to see Michael there as well.He was lounging on the couch in casual clothes, flipping through a medical journal. Emmie, wearing an apron, seemed to be busy in the kitchen. When Noelle walked in, Emmie immediately came out."Elle!" Emmie's gentle face was filled with warmth as she took Noelle's hand.Noelle felt a bit disoriented.In her memory, Emmie's life was filled with books and work, never with the kitchen. And Michael—she hadn't seen him so relaxed and calm, casually reading a magazine on the couch, in over a decade.It felt
Michael couldn't forget the look Elijah had given him that day—a mocking smile, full of meaning. Elijah slowly pulled back, revealing Emmie's curled-up body underneath him.Without a word, Michael opened his phone and pulled up a social media app. He tossed the phone to Emmie. "Take a look for yourself."Emmie looked down and saw a video posted by Elijah just minutes earlier. It was of her feeding him. She watched in disbelief, then replayed it. The account was undeniably Elijah's."Scroll down. There's more," Michael's voice drifted from the couch.Emmie's fingers moved down the screen, her peripheral vision catching a glimpse of Michael sitting with his legs crossed, taking a sip of coffee handed to him by the housekeeper.Further down, she found a photo posted by Elijah a month ago, showing her preparing his medicine. The footage seemed to be taken from security cameras.But none of these posts had appeared on her social media feed.She had never seen them on her phone.Mich
Quentin didn't deny it.Noelle's chest tightened as she remembered that day in Ocean City when Christian had said Gillian deserved to be slapped. Now, it all made sense.At the time, she had sarcastically asked him if he would treat her the same way once he got tired of her.His response had been, "Do you think I'm tired of her, and that's why I did it?"Now she understood. Christian had known all along that it was Quentin who had called Gillian to Ocean City.A wave of frustration swelled in Noelle's chest. Her fingers clenched tightly as the memory of Christian's sweet words clashed with the thought of him being with Gillian. Bitterness gnawed at her.Just then, the door opened again, and a strong, steady figure entered. His gaze swept silently over the two men in the room before he walked straight to the bed."Elle?""Clement!" At the sight of him, Noelle's eyes brimmed with tears."Let's go home," Clement said as he turned and carefully lifted her onto his back. Noelle res